Famous Missourians
Stories of Famous Missourians.
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How a Missourian Became America’s Largest Landowner: Inside His 2.7 Million-Acre Empire
For the Second Time in History, A Missourian is the Largest Landowner in the U.S. In 2026, Stan Kroenke officially became the largest private landowner in the United States. That’s pretty amazing a…
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Missouri’s Famous NASCAR Drivers
4 Legendary Drivers and 3 Iconic Tracks Missouri has produced some of the most legendary names in NASCAR history, ranging from technical masters to “big event” specialists. Here is a breakdown of the…
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The Slave-Owning Missourian Who Helped End Slavery
“…a slave-owning Missouri senator from a slave state was the co-author and co-sponsor of the bill that prohibited slavery in the United States.” Here is a story that changed the course of United…
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Missouri’s Richest 2025: Billionaires with Local Connections
Several of the richest Americans call Missouri their home.
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Missourians in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Yes, there are a lot of Missourians in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened its doors in Cleveland in 1986, the first class…
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Missouri’s President for a Day: David Rice Atchison
Senator David Rice Atchison may have been the United States President for 24-hours. The official US records beg to differ. (Atchison) “…was on Sunday, by virtue of his office, President of the United…
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The Missouri Governor Who Committed Suicide
A mental health breakdown led to the death of the young Missouri Governor Missouri Governor Thomas Reynolds was a rising star in the world of politics in the mid-1800s. He already had a…
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Why is “Uncle Sam” Buried in Missouri?
He came to Missouri several times and died here in 1932 “Probably no globe trotter in history has ever achieved such celebrity as Frank S. Colburn.” -T.F. Matthews, Dayton Sunday Journal, 1917 Frank…
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Missouri’s Famous Inventions
Thousands of patents have come from Missourians, but these are some of the most famous It’s amazing how many things have been invented in Missouri. We are a relatively small state in the…
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Missouri’s Most Interesting Man: Henry Smith Pritchett
April 16, 1857: One of the nation’s “smartest and most interesting people” was born on a farm near Fayette. Henry Smith Pritchett is one of the most interesting people ever to come from…
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The Missourian Who Was The Largest Landowner in America in 1900
Missourian John Sliker Bilby was the Land King John Sliker Bilby, Missouri’s Land Baron John Sliker Bilby was the real-life version of the John Dutton from the show Yellowstone – only bigger. Bilby…
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Missouri’s Most Famous Doctors
The Intriguing Reasons Why Missouri Is A Leader in Medicine In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the state became an unlikely cradle of medical innovation. The state produced pioneers whose ideas, practices,…
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Driving the “Genius Highway”
The Amazing History of Highway 36 in Northern Missouri It’s called the “Genius Highway” — and for good reason. Highway 36 across the northern part of Missouri is one of many great road…
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Vouziers Estate: A Glimpse into Missouri’s Gilded Age
Missouri Mansions Series Slideshow images are courtesy of The Charles Trefts Collection at The State Historical Society of Missouri. The Desloge Dynasty The story of the Desloge family is one of extraordinary wealth,…
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The First Female Mayor in Missouri
1921: The citizens of St. James elect the first female mayor in the state. Two years after women in Missouri were finally allowed to vote, the first female mayor in Missouri history was…
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The Missouri Trifectas
In honor of the final weekend of the 2023 Major League Baseball season, I present the Missouri Trifectas. There have only been about 100 players who played for both the St. Louis Cardinals…
